Leadership Report

The Comedy Gala just keeps delivering a great time!

A massive thank you to Declan Fay and Josh Earl for putting on another brilliant night of laughs and good times. Each year, the Comedy Gala seems to get bigger and better, and this year was no exception. It was an incredible night and a fantastic celebration of our Newlands community.

The icing on the cake was the Escuela De Rock performance to finish the night, which had everyone on their feet and was the perfect way to bring the evening to a close.

A huge thank you also to Claire and our wonderful PFA for once again putting together another major event for our school. An enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make nights like this happen, and it was a fantastic way to celebrate our community and finish Term 3 on a high!

Term 3 Recap

Term 3 was another incredibly busy and exciting term at Newlands Primary School, with students participating in an enormous range of learning, sporting, cultural and community experiences. One of the biggest highlights was our whole-school production, La Música Viajera, at the Darebin Arts Centre. After months of rehearsals, students had the opportunity to sing, dance, act and perform in Spanish on the big stage. Our students also participated in the BOITE Schools Chorus – Akoma: The Heart, while cultural experiences including World Dance and The Breath of the Andes continued to celebrate the language, culture and diversity that sit at the heart of Newlands.

There was plenty to celebrate across the different year levels. Our Foundation students celebrated 100 Days of School and enjoyed the Flying Bookworm incursion, while we also welcomed our future Newlanders through our 2027 Foundation Transition Program. Our Grade 5/6 students headed off to Ski Camp in Marysville, creating some unforgettable memories in the snow. Book Week was another highlight, with reading and writing celebrated across the school and visits from some fantastic Australian authors, including Julianne Negri, Nova Weetman and Nat Amoore.

Sport continued to be a huge part of life at Newlands throughout Term 3. Students competed in the Newlands Athletics Carnival, represented the school at events including the Girls District Bat Tennis Finals, and participated in Newlands Unidos competitions. Our Before School Activities program continued to grow, with more than 150 students participating in activities including basketball, tennis, wrestling, Zumba, Muay Thai, fencing, drama, lacrosse, soccer, AFL, pottery and Bat Tennis. We also held fencing clinics and our huge Term 4 Before School Activities Sign-Up Morning, giving even more students the opportunity to try something new.

Our community was just as busy. Taco Fridays quickly became a Newlands favourite, while our Father's Day Breakfast brought families together for our famous Newlands “Values Buns”. We celebrated Wear It Purple Day, held our Term 3 Parent–Teacher Interviews and continued to find new ways for students and families to connect with the school. Our student leaders and three outstanding Colour Run fundraisers were also recognised with a special celebration at the Pancake Parlour, while the Newlands Comedy Gala provided a fantastic community celebration to finish the term.

Perhaps the best way to describe Term 3 is simply: What a term! In just ten weeks, our students performed on stage, went skiing, met authors, competed in sport, tried new activities, celebrated milestones, welcomed our future Foundation students and represented Newlands across the community. We also finished the term by recognising Sonya and her extraordinary 36 years of service to Newlands Primary School. None of these experiences happen without the commitment of our staff, families, volunteers, coaches, PFA and community partners. Thank you to everyone who contributed to another memorable term at Newlands. ¡Vamos Newlands!

Congratulations Ender!

A huge congratulations to Newlands parent Ender Baskin, whose poetry collection Two Hundred Million Musketeers has received recognition in the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. This is an extraordinary achievement and one we are delighted to celebrate as a school community. To have Ender’s work recognised on the national stage is a wonderful accomplishment and a great reminder of the creativity and talent that exists within our Newlands community. Congratulations, Ender, on this fantastic achievement!

Thank You Sonya

A heartfelt thank you to Sonya for an extraordinary 36 years of service to Newlands Primary School. Over more than three decades, Sonya has made an incredible contribution to generations of Newlands students, families and staff, and her impact on our school community will be felt for many years to come. Her dedication, care and commitment to Newlands and to public education have been truly remarkable. As Sonya begins her next chapter, we wish her every happiness and thank her for everything she has given to our school. Congratulations, Sonya, on an amazing 36 years - you will always be an important part of the Newlands story.

Thank you to Israel

A huge thank you to Israel for all of his hard work, commitment and support of our Grade 5/6 students throughout this year. Israel has made a fantastic contribution to the 5/6 team and to the wider Newlands community, and we are incredibly grateful for everything he has brought to the role. The process to appoint his replacement is now almost complete, and we look forward to sharing further information with families soon. Importantly, Israel isn’t going anywhere just yet! He will continue to be part of the Newlands team until mid-November, providing plenty of time to support a smooth transition for our students and staff.

Term 4 - What is coming up!?

There is plenty to look forward to in Term 4 at Newlands! We have another action-packed term ahead, beginning with our Yarning Conference and continuing with some of our biggest community events, including the Bilingual World Cup and Fête de la Primavera. Our students will also enjoy some special year-level experiences, with the Grade 1/2 Sleepover, Foundation Activity Night and the Grade 5/6 Swimming Program all coming up. Our Before School Activities will continue, and we are also excited to launch the Newlands Talent Show, giving students another opportunity to showcase their talents. Finally, we will finish the year by celebrating our Grade 6 students at Grade 6 Graduation, recognising their achievements and their journey through Newlands before they head off to secondary school. With so much still to come, Term 4 is shaping up to be another huge term at Newlands!

Have an incredible holiday and we will see you in Term 4! I acknowledge it isnt my best end of term wrap up Sandra, I will be better next term!

Thanks, 

Luke